ery

illed the kitchen. He thought I was joking, bei

e said, squeezing my shoulders

my muscles that he, for once, seemed to notice. A flicker of somethi

rt, mingled with the scent of pancak

from under his hands and moving towards the door. I needed

for the waterfront project? You said you needed to drop t

king to see if my routine was unchanged, i

without turning aroun

re s

stepping out into the cool morning air, gaspi

y at first, the pristine glass and steel towers of the city I had helped shape blurring pas

nymous neighborhood of pawn shops and check-cashing places. I parked in front

d a practiced, incurious express

aid, the words feeling forei

ded toward a chair. "It'll c

om my purse-the emergency fund I had always kept, a relic from my

cense, birth certificate, and social security card. The

Ben

the confines of my car. I

ng with the quiet energy of cutting-edge technology. He looked at my pale fa

said gently.

four years of mentoring Kiya, the tuition I paid, the trust I' d placed in her. I told him about Brendan' s lies, the wa

a flat monotone, reciting facts, each one anothe

ilent, his expression a m

edure..."

true clean slate possible. It creates a state of temporary, heightened neuroplasticity. It helps the brain accept a new narrat

ver been tested on a human. The risks are astronomical. We' re

risk," I said wi

my mind, it was set in stone. "I can have the serum synthesized and shipped. It will

w m

d. "It will arr

The universe had a

d. "I' ll boo

Brendan was waiting for me, hi

nd pulling me into a suffocating hug. "Your phone was off, y

im making my stomach turn. "My phone died,"

searching my face. "A drive? All day? But... I saw the bo

pierced through my numbn

the lie coming easily. "To the women'

was instantaneous and absolute. He

you ever do that to me again. Don' t you ever, ever leave me." His voice wa

t a dead, heavy stone in my c

p" with Kiya in two days. I had unti

of town Brendan would never visit. It was a simple, elegant platinum b

It felt strange, my han

I told the jeweler, placing

t it? Ma' am, this is a beautiful piece. Platinum, a V

argument. "Melt the platinum band into an unrecog

urder. But the look in my eyes, and the cas

ide was a single, perfect diamond and a small, ugly

ars were parked in the driveway, their lights flashing. Brendan was on

ked like profound relief. He ran to me as I got

ice breaking. The police officers and our hou

I asked, my body r

.. I thought..." He buried his face in my neck,

," I said, pulling away. "

?" one of the officers a

her. She just needed some space." He turned back to me, his eyes pleading. "But please, El

ctor. I almost had to

l on the small bl